Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Song of Ice and Fire: High Fantasy on TV

For many, the genre of high fantasy is defined by a few monumental series, including "Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan, and "The Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. Tomorrow, "The Song of Ice and Fire" premieres as an HBO TV series entitled "Game of Thrones." For readers who need a refresher (or people who are just discovering the series), here's a complete list of the books in chronological order. Be warned, however, that the series does not conclude with book 4; fans have been waiting six years for the next installment with no apparent publication date in sight.

1. A Game of Thrones

The kingdom of the royal Stark family faces its ultimate challenge in the onset of a generation-long winter, the poisonous plots of the rival Lannisters, the emergence of the Neverborn demons, and the arrival of barbarian hordes.

2. A Clash of Kings

Five separate factions vie for control of the realm of the late Lord Eddard Stark, while an ancient form of magic, an everlasting winter, and an unearthly army threaten to return.

3. A Storm of Swords

The Seven Kingdoms are torn by strife as the three surviving contenders for the throne continue their struggle for power, Robb Stark defends his fledgling kingdom from the ravaging Greyjoys, Winterfell lies in ruins and Jon Snow confronts an escalating threat from behind the Wall, and Danerys Stormborn and her dragon allies continue to grow in power.

4. A Feast for Crows

The kingdom exists in a state of perilous equilibrium following the death of a monstrous king, a regent ruling in King's Landing, and few claimants to the Iron Throne, until new conspiracies and alliances begin to erupt in the Seven Kingdoms.

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

2 comments:

AnonymousApril 19, 2011 at 9:10 AM
A very exciting series of books that's more about political intrigue than magic & magical beings (although there's a bit of those as well). Would probably make for good TV.
LilaApril 19, 2011 at 9:16 AM
I really like the strong female characters in this series; no shrinking violets here! There's a large variety of women with physical strength, diplomatic cunning, or both.